1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to photographic apparatus for producing an identity card on photosensitive material with alphanumeric data photographed from a data-bearing card and with a photographed picture of a person.
A preferred application of the invention is to such a photographic apparatus adapted and arranged to operate automatically in cooperation with an installation for immediate treatment of exposed photosensitive material in order to automatically deliver a finished card in a few minutes from the beginning of the operations. An installation of the above described type particularly suitable to cooperate with a camera in accordance with the present invention is that described in the Italian Patent Application No. 67 859-A/76 filed on 13th April 1976 in the name of Osvando Fasano.
2. Description of Prior Art
Automatic photographic apparatus for preparing identity cards or tickets with a photograph are known, in which a photograph of the owner of the card is reproduced on a sheet or coupon of pre-exposed photosensitive material together with graphical information such as name and address of the owner, the authority issuing the card, the series number of the card, etc., thereby providing an identity card incorporating all data including a photo on a single support either for convenience or for warranty against forgery.
The known apparatus, however, require in general the presence of the owner of the card in the place where the card is being prepared, which is sometimes inconvenient, for example because long distances must be covered by the owner. This is the case, for example, with subscription to associations and clubs where transactions can take place either upon visiting the offices of the association or by post, or even in the case of identity cards for internal use in firms where the main offices are equipped with the camera and one or more branches are located far away from them and the apparatus is not available.
Another problem arising in the preparation of a card of this type when the photographic material which is going to constitute the card is moved forward by automatic conveying means though the various treatment steps is that a finished card often has irregular, smudge edges and/or edges with non-uniform colouring either on the external contour or on the limit between the photo of the owner of the card and alphanumeric indications provided on the card, e.g. owing to irregularities in the forwards movement and/or even slight phase displacements between exposure, cutting and the like operations.